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Caffeine and Nosebleeds (Day 8)
Shortly after waking up at Blue mountain shelter, Pants and I decided to push our longest day yet (15.8 mi/5000 ft ascending). His worries about his plantar fascia abated after he woke up with his feet feeling fine. He got new shoes in Neel Gap which really helped, thankful that worked!
While getting ready, someone was asking if anyone wanted some caffeine they had with them. I was feeling lazy so I decided to skip brewing coffee and have 200 mg of caffeine first thing.
We said goodbye to the Tramily since most seemed like they weren’t going that far, though Jammies and Jenn said they would feel it out and maybe come. Sad day.
US Geological Survey Marker on top of Trey Mountain
Then Pants and I were off, flying over Trey Mountain and Kelly’s Knob. Those were some pretty serious climbs and Kelly’s Knob especially was a hard push. We normally like to roll into camp around 5 pm, but we arrived at 3 pm! Way too early, sorry Pants, I pushed us too fast. Coming down from the Knob towards Deep Gap (GA) I noticed a little blood on my nose but didn’t think much of it.
We rolled into camp and then all of the sudden I had to run for the privy. A bit odd for me, but I’ve come to expect the unexpected in my bowels. The minute I stood up from using the privy my nose started gushing blood. The flow rate was startling. I got all washed up and gauzed up at the water source, but while walking back I felt myself crashing in energy.
You shoulda seen the other guy
At this point it feels like I’m dying. Bleeding out from a pooping related nosebleed. After the fact I remembered the caffeine I took that morning, as well as the crazy amount of elevation change that day and credit them with the mishaps.
Later in the evening Jammies and Jenn made it to the shelter! Pants and I were almost asleep but we were excited to see our friends push big miles! We’re in the proving grounds right now, everyone gearing up to take on larger days down trail. Jammies and Jenn showed how tough they were that day.
A Fire Closure and a Bidet (Day 9)
Late the evening before, word started spreading down the trail of a fire closure ahead. I pulled my phone out of airplane mode to check ATC closures and figured out that NOBO miles 75-85 were closed due to a wildfire directly on the trail. Deep Gap is at mile 65 ish.
Everyone in the Tramily had already planned to take a Near-O and hop off to Stannimal’s Around the Bend Hostel at Dick’s Creek Gap (mile 69), so the fire didn’t change any of our plans for that day.
It was around this time that Pants SilverCrotch took on a new evolution of his name. Due to his occupation as a nurse in the real world he became Dr. Pants SilverCrotch, or as many would come to know him Dr. SilverCrotch.
Legacy, Jenn, Dr. SilverCrotch, Shorts, Jammies, and Spirits headed to the Hostel!
Once we got shuttled into the hostel from the trailhead I remembered something. The Bidet. Around the Bend has been known for a while for it’s bathroom with a luxury bidet. I’d never used one.
Lemme tell you, it was life changing. As was the shower. They also had a roller, so I got to roll out my calves and shins and quads which was oh so nice.
After getting dressed in the weirdest set of hostel clothes I could find (that also looked like Jammies’ town clothes) I was ready for a trip to Hiawassee, GA!
Shorts and Jammies ready for town!
We hit up the Mexican restaurant, Ingles (big fan of the kids carts), and outfitter (they had a thruhiker lounge) before heading to best place Hiawassee had to offer. The Brewery. I got a nice local sour. First beer of the trip.
End of day the Tramily started talking about route plans. Given the trail closure and the availability of a shuttle around the closed section from Stannimal’s we decided to skip the section. This meant missing the border crossing from GA to NC. Pants and I may go back and do those 16 miles eventually, but for now we’ll count ourselves as completing our hike at Mount Katahdin.
Big Miles (Day 10)
Our plan for the far side of the fire closure revolved around Pants and getting him off trail for his sister’s wedding. He wanted to push ahead of the Tramily so he could go off trail and come back not too far behind everyone. Since we stick together that meant we were about to book it. Spirits kindly offered us his spot on the 8 am shuttle (we were stuck on the noon shuttle) and we were off!
Dr. SilverCrotch and I climbing Albert Mountain
In the afternoon we climbed Albert Mountain and hit the official 100 mile mark on the AT! It was a surreal moment. We couldn’t find any marker besides the one on the tower, so we built our own out of rocks at the exact Farout mileage.
100 miles down!
We pushed from 9 am to 7 pm and managed to get almost 22 miles up trail. We rolled into camp were we met Weast, Two Timer, Uno, Leapfrog, Magnum, Widget, and Optimist. I was super tired so we stretched, ate, hung our bear hang, and went to bed. First cowboy camp of the hike for me, I was too tired to set up my tent.
Wedding Crasher (Day 11)
When we awoke in the morning we got the most wonderful of news. Trail magic! With coffee! 0.2 miles away! Both Widget’s boyfriend and a guy named Captain had setup trail magic at Rock Gap. That was a great start and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Captain. He recommended we take the blue blaze up to the top of Siler Bald, even though we were rushing.
He was right! Very glad we went up there. We could see back to Albert Mountain and all the way over to Wayah Bald, stunning.
The hike up to Siler Bald is deceptively steep
Our goal was to get Dr. SilverCrotch to a road crossing 10 miles from Rock Gap that morning and we made it in time! Dr. SilverCrotch was off to crash his sister’s wedding as a piece of hiker trash.
I found myself alone for the first time on trail. It was pretty odd. I was also far ahead of anyone I knew on trail. I made my way up Wayah Bald, talked to some new folks at the shelter, taught myself the PCT hang, and took some quality foot care time!
Even the view from my tent at the shelter was good on Wayah Bald
Thanks once again for reading, Happy Trails!
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